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Getting Back on the Move Through Play: A New Card Game for Young Cancer Patients
Date: 15.03.2026 | Text: Laura Lehmann | Pictures: Laura Lehmann
With exercises like “Horse Backs,” “Superhero,” “Air Boxing,” and “Pizza Baking,” the NAOK movement card game provides fun, motivation, and a playful introduction to more physical activity for children and adolescents with cancer.
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The physical activity card game for children and adolescents with a chronic illness and/or cancer was developed by the Research Group of the ActiveOnco Kids Network (NAOK) and is designed to encourage them to get moving again, both in the hospital during treatment and at home. In general, physical activity improves well-being, helps the body regain fitness, and thus makes daily life easier. It also strengthens the immune system and can positively improve mood.
The goal of NAOK is to collaboratively provide exercise programs and appropriate sports support for children and adolescents with or recovering from cancer. The aim is to strengthen self-efficacy and help them regain confidence in their own bodies. This is where the card game comes in; it is now being used in exercise therapy and can also be taken home by families.
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The game begins by drawing a card: You don’t need special sportswear or a lot of equipment, since most items can already be found in the family home. The game is recommended for children ages three and up. It includes 30 activity cards from the following six categories: strength, endurance, coordination, sensorimotor skills, flexibility, and relaxation. The rules of the game can vary and are based on the classic Quartett or Quintett principle.
The game packaging complies with special hygiene regulations and is triple-sealed.
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The movement card game was developed as part of the NAOK’s multicenter research group:
- Illustrations, design, and text: Celine and Elias Dreismickenbecker, Veronika Stallmann, ChatGPT & NAOK Research Group
- Members of the NAOK Research Group: Ronja Beller, Lena Böhlke, Gabriel Blüder, Simon Elmers, Mareike Kühn, Carolin Ohnmacht, Sarah Otten, Jennifer Queisser, Lars Rehbein, Franziska Richter, Josephine Sachs, Nicole Soinski, Ann Christin Schneider, and Lena Wypyrsczyk
The ActiveOncoKids network is dedicated to helping children who have survived cancer get back into physical activity and sports. The NORD Center, comprising Hamburg, Kiel, Lübeck, and Sylt, offers various activities throughout the year for affected families in northern Germany—including surfing, stand-up paddleboarding, sailing, soccer, and even gliding.
Further information
The UCC Hamburg
The Hubertus Wald Tumor Center – University Cancer Center Hamburg (UCC Hamburg) brings together all clinics and institutes involved in diagnostics, therapy, and research within the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) and collaborates with numerous partners in healthcare and science in Hamburg.
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